Ink refill container

Abstract

The present invention provides a technology that facilitates the reuse of used ink bottles without limiting the use and reduces the volume of discarded parts. The ink replenishing container for replenishing ink to a printer comprises: an ink bag that contains ink; a container portion that contains the ink bag and has a neck with an opening; and a lead-out portion that is arranged in the neck of the container portion, contacts the inner side of the ink bag to seal the opening of the ink bag, and forms an ink outlet, wherein the ink bag is formed of a stretchable material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ink replenishing container. Background Art

[0002] As an example of an ink jet device, an inkjet printer is known that can print on a printing medium with ink by ejecting ink from a print head toward a printing medium such as printing paper. Among such inkjet printers, there is an ink refill type inkjet printer that is used by refilling ink into an ink tank. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an ink refill type ink bottle that is intended to improve the convenience of an ink bottle and a bottle set.

[0003] [Prior art literature]

[0004] [Patent Document]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-118453

[0006] However, when the above-mentioned ink bottle is reused, since the ink adheres to all the parts constituting the used ink bottle, there is a problem of difficulty in reuse. In addition, when the used ink bottle is reused, there is also a problem of limited use. On the other hand, if all the parts constituting the ink bottle are discarded, the volume of the discarded part increases. Summary of the invention

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, an ink replenishing container is provided. The ink replenishing container is an ink replenishing container for replenishing ink to a printer, comprising: an ink bag that contains the ink; a container portion that contains the ink bag and has a neck portion having an opening; and a lead-out portion that is arranged in the neck portion of the container portion, contacts the inner side of the ink bag to seal the opening of the ink bag, and forms an ink outlet, wherein the ink bag is formed of a stretchable material. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a printer that is replenished with ink using an ink replenishing container according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a front view of the ink refill container in an upright position.

[0010] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of an ink refill container before ink is used.

[0011] Figure 4 This is an enlarged view of the cross section of the lead-out portion.

[0012] Figure 5This is an explanatory diagram for explaining the state of the first auxiliary ink pack after use.

[0013] Figure 6 This is an explanatory diagram for explaining a state in which the first sub-ink pack is separated from the container main body.

[0014] Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram showing a state where a new lead-out portion is fixed to the second sub-ink pack.

[0015] Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of an ink replenishing container in the second embodiment.

[0016] [Description of symbols]

[0017] 100: printer; 110: housing; 112: cover; 120: bracket; 122: print head; 130: ink tank; 132: ink inlet flow path component; 134: tube; 200: ink replenishing container; 200a: ink replenishing container; 300: container body; 310: ink bag; 311: first auxiliary ink bag; 312: second auxiliary ink bag; 315: ink; 400: outlet portion; 400a: outlet portion; 405: neck; 410: supply port forming portion; 415: ink outlet; 420: sealing component; 430: coil spring; 440: valve core; 600: bottle cap; C: center axis; Po1: flange portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] A. First Implementation Method:

[0019] Figure 1 1 is a perspective view of a printer 100 that is refilled with ink using an ink refill container 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The printer 100 is an inkjet printer that ejects ink onto a print medium P to perform printing. Figure 1 , mutually orthogonal X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are depicted. The X-axis corresponds to the width direction of the printer 100, the Y-axis corresponds to the depth direction of the printer 100, and the Z-axis corresponds to the height direction of the printer 100. The printer 100 is set on a horizontal setting surface defined by the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. In this embodiment, the X-axis direction means the general term for the +X direction and the -X direction. Similarly, the Y-axis direction means the general term for the +Y direction and the -Y direction, and the Z-axis direction means the general term for the +Z direction and the -Z direction.

[0020] The printer 100 includes a housing 110. A carriage 120 is provided inside the housing 110 so as to be movable in the main scanning direction (X-axis direction). A print head 122 is provided on the lower surface of the carriage 120 so as to eject ink onto a printing medium P. An openable and closable cover 112 is provided at one end of the front surface of the housing 110. A plurality of ink tanks 130 are provided inside the cover 112.

[0021] A plurality of ink tanks 130 are connected to the print head 122 of the carriage 120 via tubes 134. The ink in each ink tank 130 is supplied to the print head 122 via the tubes 134. These ink tanks 130 are ink refilling type ink tanks. A cylindrical ink inlet flow path component 132 for refilling ink to the ink tank 130 is provided on the upper surface of each ink tank 130. These ink tanks 130 are fixed ink tanks that are not placed on the carriage 120. In addition, the front surface of each ink tank 130 is formed by a light-transmitting component, so that the remaining ink in each ink tank 130 can be visually viewed from the outside. When the remaining ink becomes low, the cover portion 112 can be opened to refill the ink from the ink inlet flow path component 132 of the ink tank 130.

[0022] In this specification, the term "ink replenishment" means the action of supplying ink to the ink tank 130 to increase the remaining amount of ink. However, it is not necessary to fill the ink tank 130 with ink through "ink replenishment". In addition, "ink replenishment" also includes the action of filling the empty ink tank 130 with ink when the printer 100 is used for the first time.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a front view of the ink refill container 200 in an upright position. The "upright position of the ink refill container 200" means a position in which the bottom of the container body 300 is placed downward and placed on a horizontal surface such as a table. The upper end side of the ink refill container 200 in the upright position is referred to as the "top end side", and the lower end side is referred to as the "rear end side". Figure 2 The +Z direction in the following figures indicates the vertically upward direction of the ink refill container 200 in the upright state. Figure 2 The central axis C of the ink refill container 200 is shown by a dotted line. In this specification, the direction parallel to the central axis C of the ink refill container 200 is referred to as an "axial direction", and the direction perpendicular to the central axis C is referred to as a "radial direction".

[0024] The ink replenishing container 200 includes a container body 300 capable of accommodating an ink bag 310 (described later) filled with ink, a guide portion 400 forming an ink outlet 415 (described later), and a bottle cap 600 detachably mounted on the top end side of the guide portion 400 .

[0025] Figure 3It is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of the ink replenishing container 200 before the ink is used. Figure 3 In FIG. 1 , a cross section including the central axis C is shown. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the container body 300 is a container having a shape of a neck 405 having an opening at the top end side. The container body 300 accommodates an ink bag 310 .

[0026] In this embodiment, the ink bag 310 is composed of a first sub-ink bag 311 and a second sub-ink bag 312, and has the function of containing ink 315. The first sub-ink bag 311 and the second sub-ink bag 312 are both sized to be contained in the container body 300. The first sub-ink bag 311 and the second sub-ink bag 312 are arranged in a manner of overlapping each other in a nested manner. The first sub-ink bag 311 is arranged on the inner side of the second sub-ink bag 312. The first sub-ink bag 311 and the second sub-ink bag 312 can both contain ink 315. In addition, Figure 3 3 shows a state where the ink 315 is contained inside the first sub-ink pack 311 .

[0027] The first auxiliary ink bag 311 and the second auxiliary ink bag 312 are both formed of a stretchable material. The stretchable material is butyl rubber in this embodiment. In addition, it is not limited to butyl rubber, and can also be any one or more combinations of ethylene propylene rubber, silicone rubber, and thermoplastic synthetic rubber.

[0028] The opening ends of the first sub-ink bag 311 and the second sub-ink bag 312 are turned over in a mutually overlapping state, and are folded back radially outward to cover the opening end edge of the neck 405 of the container body 300. The first sub-ink bag 311 and the second sub-ink bag 312 are fixed to the corresponding opening end edges by their own contraction force toward the radial inside.

[0029] The outlet portion 400 is disposed in the neck portion 405 of the container body 300. The outlet portion 400 contacts the inside of the first sub-ink bag 311 to seal the opening of the first sub-ink bag 311 and forms an ink outlet 415. The outlet portion 400 has a valve structure including a valve core 440 described later.

[0030] Figure 4 It is an enlarged view of the cross section of the lead-out portion 400 . The lead-out portion 400 includes a supply port forming portion 410 , a sealing member 420 , a coil spring 430 , and a valve element 440 .

[0031] The supply port forming portion 410 is in a hollow, generally cylindrical shape and is formed of, for example, polypropylene. The +Z direction end of the supply port forming portion 410 functions as an ink outlet 415. In the present embodiment, the central axis direction of the ink outlet 415 coincides with the direction of the central axis C of the ink replenishing container 200. The "central axis direction of the ink outlet 415" means the direction of a perpendicular line along an imaginary plane that passes through the center point of the ink outlet 415 and is parallel to the ink outlet 415. In addition, the central axis direction of the ink outlet 415 and the direction of the central axis C may also be offset from each other. The supply port forming portion 410 is arranged in contact with the inner side of the first auxiliary ink bag 311. The supply port forming portion 410 and the first auxiliary ink bag 311 are fixed by being pressed in and fixed by the contractility of the first auxiliary ink bag 311. The interior of the supply port forming portion 410 is a flow path of the ink 315. In addition, the supply port forming portion 410 and the first auxiliary ink bag 311 may also be fixed by bonding. In addition, the supply port forming portion 410 is not limited to polypropylene, and may be formed of other resins.

[0032] like Figure 4 As shown, the sealing member 420 is arranged on the radial inner side of the supply port forming portion 410, and is arranged at the +Z direction end of the supply port forming portion 410. The sealing member 420 is an elastic ring with upper and lower openings. The sealing member 420 is shaped as follows: the wall thickness in the radial direction becomes thicker as it moves toward the -Z direction, and the wall thickness in the radial direction is thinnest only at the -Z direction end. The sealing member 420 is, for example, rubber. The sealing member 420 is crimped by the valve core 440 described later before being inserted by the ink supply needle not shown in the figure, thereby functioning as a valve seat member that blocks the ink outlet 415. When the ink supply needle is inserted and passed through, the ink supply needle separates the valve core 440 from the sealing member 420 relative to the force of the coil spring 430 described later, thereby opening the ink outlet 415.

[0033] The coil spring 430 is arranged radially inside the supply port forming portion 410 and at the -Z direction end of the supply port forming portion 410. The coil spring 430 is a biasing member that biases a valve element 440 to be described later toward the sealing member 420. Figure 4 In the state shown, that is, in a state where the ink supply needle is not inserted and passes through, the valve core 440 blocks the flow path of the ink 315.

[0034] The valve core 440 is arranged radially inside the supply port forming portion 410, and is arranged between the sealing member 420 and the coil spring 430. The valve core 440 is arranged in a manner that there is a gap between the valve core 440 and the inner side surface of the supply port forming portion 410. The gap in question becomes a flow path for the ink 315. The radial wall thickness of a portion of the valve core 440 in the -Z direction is thinner than that of other portions. The portion with the thinner wall thickness is inserted into the inner hole of the coil spring 430. The valve core 440 applies force from the inner side of the first auxiliary ink bag 311 in the direction of closing the opening of the ink outlet 415. The radial outer side of the valve core 440 blocks the flow path of the ink 315 by the force of the coil spring 430. In this way, the valve core 440 has a function of preventing the ink 315 from being ejected from the inside of the first auxiliary ink bag 311. The valve core 440 is preferably formed of silicone rubber or a synthetic rubber as a member having rubber elasticity. In addition, the ink replenishing container 200 can be formed of a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

[0035] In the supply port forming portion 410, an unillustrated interlocking portion is provided around the ink outlet 415. The interlocking portion is interlocked with a recessed portion provided around the ink inlet flow path component 132 of the ink tank 130. In the present embodiment, the interlocking portion is provided at two positions across the ink outlet 415. The two interlocking portions have a shape that is 180 degrees point-symmetrical with respect to the central axis C of the ink replenishment container 200. The recessed portion provided around the ink inlet flow path component 132 of the ink tank 130 also has a shape that is 180 degrees point-symmetrical with respect to the ink inlet flow path component 132. When the ink is replenished, the orientation of the ink replenishment container 200 is limited to two orientations that are 180 degrees point-symmetrical by making the interlocking portion of the ink replenishment container 200 fit with the recessed portion around the ink inlet flow path component 132 of the ink tank 130. As a result, the ink replenishment container 200 can be maintained in a stable posture when the ink is replenished. However, the interlocking portion can also be omitted.

[0036] like Figure 3 As shown, the bottle cap 600 is attached to the top end side of the outlet portion 400. The bottle cap 600 is a hollow cup shape having a bottom surface. The bottle cap 600 covers the outlet portion 400 in a manner that the bottom surface is in the +Z direction. The bottle cap 600 has a function of protecting the outlet portion 400.

[0037] Figure 5 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the state of the first auxiliary ink bag 311 after use. Figure 5 As shown, the ink 315 in the first auxiliary ink bag 311 is reduced, and the ink bag 310 as a whole is shrunk to be detachable from the container body 300. By pulling out the outlet portion 400 in this state, the first auxiliary ink bag 311 into which the outlet portion 400 is pressed is also pulled out from the container body 300.

[0038] Figure 6 This is an explanatory diagram for explaining the state in which the first auxiliary ink bag 311 is separated from the container body 300. By separating the used first auxiliary ink bag 311 from the container body 300, the portion to which the ink 315 is attached is separated, so that the ink 315 is not attached to the container body 300 and the second auxiliary ink bag 312. Therefore, the container body 300 and the second auxiliary ink bag 312 that are left after separation do not have portions to which the ink 315 is attached and can be reused. In addition, when the ink 315 is not attached, Figure 5 The bottle cap 600 in the container can also be reused. The used first sub-ink pack 311 and the lead-out portion 400 separated from the container body 300 are discarded.

[0039] Figure 7 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a state where a new lead-out portion 400 is fixed to the second auxiliary ink bag 312. The new lead-out portion 400 is pressed into and fixed to the neck portion 405 via the second auxiliary ink bag 312. New ink is filled into the inside of the second auxiliary ink bag 312. The new ink filled into the second auxiliary ink bag 312 is filled into the ink tank 130. The container body 300 and the second auxiliary ink bag 312 to which ink is not attached can be reused.

[0040] The container body 300 in this embodiment corresponds to the container portion in the claims.

[0041] According to the ink replenishing container 200 of the first embodiment described above, the first sub-ink bag 311 and the second sub-ink bag 312 are formed of a stretchable material. Therefore, by utilizing the shrinkage of the first sub-ink bag 311 and the second sub-ink bag 312, after the printer 100 is replenished with ink, the first sub-ink bag 311 and the second sub-ink bag 312 shrink, so that the used first sub-ink bag 311 and the second sub-ink bag 312 can be separated from the container body 300. At this time, since the used container body 300 is not attached with ink, it can be reused without being discarded. Therefore, for the used ink replenishing container 200, it is possible to facilitate the reuse and reduce the volume of discarded parts.

[0042] In addition, according to the ink replenishing container 200 of the first embodiment, the outlet 400 has a valve structure including a valve core 440 and the like. Since the ink 315 is stressed by the contraction force of the first sub-ink bag 311, the ink 315 is about to be ejected from the ink outlet 415, but the opening of the first sub-ink bag 311 is sealed by the valve structure including the valve core 440 and the like, so that the ink outlet 415 is also closed. Therefore, the ejection of the ink 315 from the first sub-ink bag 311 can be suppressed.

[0043] Furthermore, the first auxiliary ink bag 311 and the second auxiliary ink bag 312 are arranged in a mutually overlapping nested manner. The ink 315 contained in the first auxiliary ink bag 311 on the radial inner side is used, and the first auxiliary ink bag 311 is pulled out from the container body 300 after use. Therefore, the number of times the container body 300 can be reused can be limited by the number of bags. In addition, since a new second auxiliary ink bag 312 can be installed simply by pulling out the used first auxiliary ink bag 311, convenience is improved.

[0044] In addition, the opening ends of the first sub-ink bag 311 and the second sub-ink bag 312 are folded back toward the radially outer side to cover the opening end edge of the neck 405 of the container body 300. The contraction force of the bag itself toward the radially inner side makes it easy to fix the first sub-ink bag 311 and the second sub-ink bag 312 to the container body 300. Since the first sub-ink bag 311 and the second sub-ink bag 312 are fixed to the neck 405 of the container body 300, when the first sub-ink bag 311 and the second sub-ink bag 312 are separated from the container body 300 after use, they can be easily pulled out together with the lead-out portion 400 integrated with the first sub-ink bag 311 and the second sub-ink bag 312.

[0045] B. Second Implementation Method:

[0046] Figure 8 It is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of an ink replenishing container 200 a in the second embodiment. Figure 8 The structure of the ink replenishing container 200a of the second embodiment shown is different from the ink replenishing container 200 of the first embodiment in that the top end of the outlet portion 400a protrudes further outward than the neck 405 of the container body 300. Since the other structures of the ink replenishing container 200a of the second embodiment are the same as those of the ink replenishing container 200 of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are attached to the same structural elements, and their detailed description is omitted.

[0047] like Figure 8 As shown, the top end portion in the +Z direction of the lead-out portion 400a, for example, the top end portion of the supply port forming portion 410, protrudes further outward than the neck 405. Here, "further outward than the neck 405" means the direction from the neck 405 toward the bottle cap 600 side along the axial direction of the central axis C. The top end portion involved is configured as a flange portion Po1, which not only protrudes further outward than the neck 405, but also protrudes radially outward of the neck 405 of the container body 300. Therefore, it is easy to place a finger on the flange portion Po1 involved to remove the lead-out portion 400a, and it is also easy to install when installing the lead-out portion 400a. Therefore, the lead-out portion 400a can be loaded and unloaded relative to the container body 300 by a simple structure.

[0048] According to the ink replenishing container 200a of the second embodiment described above, since the top end of the outlet portion 400a is formed as the flange portion Po1, it is easy to put a finger on the flange portion Po1 to remove the outlet portion 400a. In addition, when installing the outlet portion 400a, it is also easy to apply force to the flange portion Po1 to press it in, so the installation is easy. Therefore, the outlet portion 400a can be attached and detached with respect to the container body 300 by a simple structure.

[0049] C. Other implementation methods:

[0050] (C1) In the above-mentioned embodiments, at least a portion of the outer side surface of the second auxiliary ink bag 312 may be bonded and fixed to the inner side surface of the container body 300. In the above-mentioned structure, ink is not ejected even without a valve structure, so the valve structure including the valve core 440 and the like may be omitted.

[0051] (C2) In each embodiment, the number of sub-ink packs constituting the ink pack 310 is two, but the number is not limited to two and may be a plurality or any number.

[0052] (C3) In the second embodiment, the leading end portion of the lead-out portion 400a is configured as the flange portion Po1, but it may not be configured as the flange portion Po1. The lead-out portion 400a may not protrude in the radial direction but may protrude only in the axial direction.

[0053] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be implemented in various ways without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention can also be implemented in the following ways. In order to solve part or all of the problems of the present invention, or to achieve part or all of the effects of the present invention, the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments corresponding to the technical features in the various modes described below can be appropriately replaced or combined. In addition, if the technical features are not described as necessary technical features in this specification, they can be appropriately deleted.

[0054] (1) According to one aspect of the present invention, an ink refill container is provided. The ink refill container is an ink refill container for refilling ink to a printer, and comprises: an ink bag that contains the ink; a container portion that contains the ink bag and has a neck portion with an opening; and a lead-out portion that is disposed in the neck portion of the container portion and contacts the inner side of the ink bag to seal the opening of the ink bag and form an ink outlet, wherein the ink bag is formed of a stretchable material. According to the ink refill container of this aspect, the ink bag shrinks by utilizing the shrinkage of the ink bag, thereby enabling the used ink bag to be separated from the container portion. Therefore, it is possible to facilitate the reuse of used ink bottles and reduce the volume of discarded parts.

[0055] (2) In the ink refill container of the above aspect, the stretchable material may include at least one of butyl rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, silicone rubber and thermoplastic elastomer.

[0056] (3) In the ink replenishing container of the above-mentioned aspect, the outlet portion may include a valve structure including a valve core that is urged from the inside of the ink bag in a direction to close the opening of the ink outlet. According to the ink replenishing container of this aspect, the ink contained in the ink bag may be ejected due to the shrinkage of the ink bag, but the opening of the ink outlet is closed by the valve structure including the valve core. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the ejection of ink from the ink outlet due to the shrinkage force of the ink bag.

[0057] (4) In the ink replenishing container of the above-mentioned embodiment, at least a portion of the outer side surface of the ink bag may be bonded and fixed to the inner side surface of the container portion. According to the ink replenishing container of this embodiment, since the ink bag does not shrink, the valve structure including the valve core can be omitted, and the ink ejection from the ink outlet can be suppressed.

[0058] (5) In the above-mentioned ink refill container, the ink bag may include a plurality of sub-ink bags arranged in a mutually overlapping and nested manner. According to the ink refill container of this embodiment, the number of times the ink refill container can be reused can be limited by the number of sub-ink bags. In addition, since a new ink bag can be installed simply by pulling out a used ink bag, convenience is improved.

[0059] (6) In the ink refill container of the above-mentioned embodiment, the opening ends of the plurality of sub-ink bags may be folded back radially outward in a mutually overlapping state to cover the opening end edge of the neck portion, and may be fixed to the neck portion by the contraction force of the bag itself radially inward. According to the ink refill container of this embodiment, the ink bag can be easily attached to the container portion by the contraction force of the bag itself radially inward. Since the ink bag is fixed to the neck portion of the container portion, it is easy to pull out the ink bag when separating the ink bag from the container portion after use.

[0060] (7) In the ink refill container of the above embodiment, the outlet portion is fixedly pressed on the inner side of the neck through the ink bag, and the top end of the outlet portion protrudes outward from the neck. According to the ink refill container of this embodiment, the outlet portion can be attached and detached with a simple structure.

Claims

1. An ink refill container for refilling ink to a printer, comprising: an ink bag configured to contain the ink; a container portion that accommodates the ink bag and has a neck portion having an opening; and a lead-out portion, which is arranged in the neck of the container portion, contacts the inner side of the ink bag to seal the opening of the ink bag, and forms an ink outlet, The lead-out portion includes a hollow cylindrical supply port forming portion. The ink bag comprises: A first ink bag formed of a stretchable material; and a second auxiliary ink bag which is separate from the first auxiliary ink bag and is formed of a stretchable material, The first sub-ink bag is arranged on the inner side of the second sub-ink bag in an overlapping manner. The supply port forming portion contacts the inner side of the opening of the first sub-ink bag and is pressed and fixed by the elasticity of the first sub-ink bag, and is arranged inside the neck portion via the first sub-ink bag and the second sub-ink bag.

2. The ink refill container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stretchable material contains at least one of butyl rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, silicone rubber and thermoplastic synthetic rubber.

3. The ink refill container according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that: The outlet portion has a valve structure including a valve element that is urged from the inside of the first sub-ink bag in a direction to close the opening of the ink outlet.

4. The ink refill container according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that: At least a portion of the outer side surface of the second sub-ink pack is bonded and fixed to the inner side surface of the container portion.

5. The ink refill container according to claim 3, characterized in that: The opening end of the first sub-ink bag and the opening end of the second sub-ink bag are folded back radially outward in a mutually overlapping state to cover the opening end edge of the neck, and are fixed to the neck by their own contraction force toward the radial inside.

6. The ink refill container according to claim 4, characterized in that: The opening ends of the first sub-ink bag and the second sub-ink bag are overlapped and folded radially outward to cover the opening edge of the neck, and are fixed to the neck by their own contraction force radially inward.

7. The ink refill container according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that: The lead-out portion is fixed by pressure contact to the inner side of the neck portion via the first sub-ink pack and the second sub-ink pack, and a tip end portion of the lead-out portion protrudes outward from the neck portion.

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